According to a report from the Sunday Express, Daniel Craig is set to become Britain’s highest paid actor as a result of a new multi-million pound pay raise for playing James Bond.

As a result of Casino Royale‘s magnificent success at the worldwide box-office (see CBn’s full coverage here), Craig will receive £5 million for his return as 007 in Bond 22 and £8 million for Bond 23. These sums are reportedly double what he originally negotiated with Eon Productions.

Leon Forde of movie magazine Screen International, said: ‘The fact is that he’s become integral to the success of the Bond franchise and I’m not surprised that he’s been given a new contract. Eon are obviously doing everything they can to keep him on board.’

An Eon spokesperson refused to comment on the contract renegotiations, saying: ‘We never discuss such matters.’

Since his debut as 007 in last year’s Casino Royale, Craig has kept very busy with several non-Bond projects including The Invasion, The Golden Compass and the low-budget British film, Flashbacks Of A Fool.

The indie film Flashbacks Of A Fool centers on a hedonistic British actor (played by Craig) whose Hollywood career is starting to nosedive. It is the feature-writing and directing debut of Baillie Walsh.

He told the Sunday Express: ‘We were lucky. Daniel liked the script and wanted to do the film and he delivers a fantastic performance in the title role.’

‘You only have to see Daniel’s films, be it Enduring Love or Layer Cake, to realise what a brilliant actor he is and that’s why casting agents in Britain and America are falling over themselves to have him in their films. The fact that Daniel is still making films like mine when he could be earning 10 times as much in Hollywood is a tribute to him as a person.’

Commenting on his interpretation of Bond, Walsh said: ‘There were bound to be doubters because Bond is such an institution, and anyone who steps into the role is going to be subjected to intense scrutiny.’

‘The only thing he ever wanted to be judged on was his acting and his performance as Bond. And there’s no doubt that he’s a great Bond.’

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Bond 22 (title TBA) is the 22nd James Bond 007 film produced by franchise holders Eon Productions. Daniel Craig will be returning from Casino Royale to play James Bond. Bond 22 will be directed by Marc Forster with the script written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis. Filming is due to begin in December 2007 and is scheduled for release on 7 November 2008.